Roberts, Frederick Newton

Dr. Frederick Newton (Goldstein) Roberts MD

Born 2/9/1919 in Syracuse, NY

Died 12/16/2012

Veteran WWII.

Frederick Newton Roberts, 93, of Syracuse and Hatch Lake, died Sunday, December 16, 2012. Born in Syracuse, he was the son of the late Dr. Frank and Ida Goldstein. He was a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ann, his daughter Laura, and his brother Jerome. He is survived by his brother, George of Birmingham, Michigan; his four sons, Frank (Linda) of Grand Blanc, Michigan, Douglas (Peggy) of Syracuse, Stephen of Bozeman, Montana, Lawrence (Cindy) Roberts of Indian Harbour Beach, Florida; and son-in-law, Robert (Laura) Crawford; grandchildren, Danny, Katie, Lisa, Ben, Eric, Becky, Zach and David; and nine great-grandchildren. Fred was a proud 1935 grad of Nottingham High School and an inductee into its Wall of Fame. He graduated from Syracuse University and its medical school and began a 70-year career as a pediatrician, having treated an estimated 300,000 patients. During World War II Fred served his country as a doctor on the USS Chilton in the Pacific. Fred was a prolific writer and the author of two published books which documented the lives of courageous children who were patients of his during his many decades as a dedicated and beloved pediatrician in Syracuse. Upon his retirement from his private pediatrics practice in 1995, Fred established a pediatric clinic for low income families at Crouse Hospital which he directed for 10 years, and in 2006 began volunteering his teaching expertise at Upstate Medical Center, as well as seeing pediatric patients. Freds lifelong dream of a Syracuse Childrens hospital was realized. The proceeds from the sale of the books he has authored are being donated to the new facility, Galisano Childrens Hospital. An avid sports fan, especially of his beloved SU Orangemen, Fred won the New York State Tennis Doubles Championship while a senior at Nottingham with his lifelong best friend, Harold Silverman. Freds honors included being recognized multiple times as Pediatrician of the Year of Central New York, and honored as one of The Post-Standards "People of Achievement" in 1999. Fred performed the first intra-uterine transfusion in Central New York, devoted decades of tireless work in cystic fibrosis research, and founded the CNY Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, and as well treated generations of Syracuse families. Freds loves and legacies were first and foremost, his wife Ann, with whom he cherished a 75-year romance, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his medical practice and his patients, many of whom grew to consider him a member of their own families, and his writing which (ever the enthusiastic worker) included a novel in progress at his passing. Joint services and burial for Dr. Frederick and Ann Roberts will be conducted on Wednesday, December 19, 2012, 2 p.m. at Temple Adath Yeshurun, 450 Kimber Rd., Syracuse. Friends may visit with the family from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Temple on Wednesday prior to the service. Burial will be in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Galisano Childrens Hospital.
Published in Syracuse Post Standard on December 17, 2012